Despite Dirk Nowitzki leading the Dallas Mavericks to a sweep against the Los Angeles Lakers into the NBA Western Conference Finals, German national team coach Dirk Bauermann believes his star power forward will play at EuroBasket 2011 – if Nowitzki is healthy.
“It’s inconceivable how he’s playing there! And not just scoring but also on defense and rebounding. You just cannot play much better than he is at the moment,” said Bauermann in his May 9 column in the Munich daily newpaper tz.
“But I still assume that he will play for the German national team at the 2011 EuroBasket in Lithuania in September. He said that.”
Bauermann admits that Nowitzki has left himself a way out, which the coach said is “understandable”.
“Maybe he will look at the situation again, but I believe that when a Dirk Nowitzki says that he will play, then he will play. Therefore I am very confident, unless he gets injured,” said Bauermann.
Bauermann, who coached Bayern Munich to promotion to the German BBL from the second division ProA, is also confident that Dallas can win the title.
“There is not one Über-Team that has consistently dominated this year,” said the coach.
Bauermann expects a final between Dallas and Miami with Dallas winning in six games – a reversal of the Heat’s 4-2 series win over the Mavericks in 2006 after Dallas won the first two games.